Infolding of vest pocket welts and the like



May 5, 1 942. A'. G. GILBERT ING OF'VEST POCKET WELTS AND THE LIKE IN FOLD Filed sept. 1:5,A 1959 2 sheets-sheet l 'y INQVENTORZ May 5, 1942- A. G. GILBERT 2,281,970

INFOLDING OF VEST POCKET WELTS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 13, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 y ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 5, 1942 INFOLDING F VEST POCKET WELTS AND THE LIKE Alfred G. Gilbert, South Acton, Mass., assigner to Reece Folding Machine Company,

East

Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application September i3, 1539, Serial l Claim.

rIhis invention relates to the infolding of vest pocket welts or other blanks of woolen or similar goods, and comprises apparatus adapted for the simultaneous infolding of a set of welt blanks to form the pocket facings for a vest or waistcoat, or similar garment, and method of folding and fixing the same preparatory to subsequent stitching thereof.

This subject presents special difficulties and problems due to the existing conditions in the practical manufacture of vests, composed usually of woolen goods or suitings of similar material, difficult to fold, press vand handle. In the usual vest there are left and right hand upper and lower pockets, and a corresponding number of pocket welts, all four of which are of different form. rlhis is due to the fact that the lower pockets are usually longer than the upper, while the inclines of the pockets, and therefore the angles of the folded ends of the welts, are the reverse of each other at the left and right sides. While -a set of two pocket welts may sometimes meet the requirements of certain products, the customary vest has the four pockets as mentioned and therefore requires a set of four different welts, which may be enumerated as the left hand and right hand upper welts and the left hand and right hand lower welts, somewhat longer than the upper welts. In any given plant the difference in length between the upper welts and the lower welts, for example one half inch, is usually a uniform differential throughout the range of sizes of vests and pockets. On account of the necessity of matching the goods of the welts with the goods of the vest it is highly desirable that a complete set of the four welts be infolded and pressed and handled simultaneously, each set being temporarily attached or pinned to its vest, preparatory to the sewing thereof, thus saving matching complications and insuring a correct final product or garment.

A general object of the present invention is to afford uniformity of accuracy in the infolding and pressing or creasing of the folds of the welts of each set. Another object is to enhance convenience and reliability of production of welts and to increase the rate of output thereof and materially reduce the production costs. A particular object is to enable the entire set of welts for a single vest to be folded and creased in a single machine in a single operation, thus enhancing the other advantages enumerated. An additional object is to avoid the prevailing dimculties in regard to the creasing of the welt folds as formed and to cause them to remain folded and creased until they have been stitched into the product or vest. Heretofore a scheme known as Soaping has been used, which is undesirable, and'the present invention is intended to dispense with the need of Soaping, and the need of supplemental hand pressing of the folds, frequently practised, or the corrugating of the folds in the machine, all of which are disadvantageous; the present invention providing for the sticking together of the material at the folds without the need of adhesive, thus turning out a better folded and creased product and materially facilitating and speeding up the stitching operaL tions. Among further objects of the invention is the quick adaptability of the machine to adjustment for change of size, to afford larger or smaller pockets according to the size of the garment, this being herein accomplished in a simple manner, preserving the size differential between the upper vand lower pocket welts already mentioned. Other advantages of the invention will be explained in the hereinafter following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof or will be understood by those conversant with the subject. To the accomplishment of the objects Vand advantages mentioned the present invention consists in the novel method, system and apparatus for the infolding of vest pocket welt blanks, and the novel features of operation, combination, construction and arrangement herein illustrated or described.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of a vest showing the upper and lower, right and left welts, al1 different either in size or shape.

Fig. 2 is a right end elevation of the upper portion of a welt infolding machine embodying the present invention, with the multiple defining member or templet shown in raised position above the folding bed of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a partial right hand elevation taken partly in vertical section.

Fig. 4 is a top planview `of the infolding bed or blank supporting portion of the machine andthe edge infolding members thereon.

Fig. 5 is ya face view of one Aof the unfolded cloth blanks, particularly the upper right welt blank, in its original cut condition, vthe ,subsequent fold lines being indicated in dotted lines; while Fig. 5a is a similar view of thefsame blank `after its infolding andpressing.

Fig. 6 ona larger .scale than Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the bed, with the welt blanks thereon, and the infolders and templet, the templet being shown with its upper or carrier portions broken 'BI and the lower left welt B2.

oir, in the manner shown in Fig. 7, in order to afford a more complete View of the parts therebeneath; also the infolders are shown moved in, and' the templet members retracted inwardly from the folds.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the section line lof Fig. 6, looking from the front.

Figs. 8 and 9, also in vertical sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6, are partial views on. a l

larger scale showing the relations of the bed, the infolders and the templet at different stages of operation.

Instances of automatic machines for the infolding and fold pressing of Various fabric blanks include the Reece-type machines shown in prior patents such as Dixon 956,950 of May 3, 1910, Dixon 1,979,872 of November 6, 1934, and Gilbert 2,059,335 of November 3, 1936; and see also Reece 972,916, and Dixon 1,797,641.

The raw materials and product are designated by reference letters; the parts of the machine by reference numbers. The two upper welts or their blanks A comprise the upper right hand welt Al and the upper left hand welt A2, while the lower welts B comprise the lower right welt These are so shown on Fig. 5 illustrating a vest, and appear as well on Figs. 6 to 11. Fig. 10 shows the unfolded blank Ai, as an example, on which is indicated the line C of the fold to be produced, beyond which is the narrow margin D to be infolded; while Fig. 11 shows the margin D infolded, producing the finally folded and creased edge E. The long side edges of the blank AI are shown parallel, while the ends are cut on the bias of the woven material. The end slants of the welts AI and BI are usually the same and these are in the opposite direction to the slants of the other two welts. In the finished product the slanting ends frequently stand vertical, since the vopening of each pocket, and the position of its welt, are usually at a substantial slant to the horizontal.

The machine may comprise an upright frame I8, upon the top elements I9 of which is mounted the blank support or bed 2U, on the central area 2| of which the blanks are to be laid, dened, folded and creased. The bed is hollow and steam heated by steam chest 22, suitably supplied, and t.

its top plate or pad 2 l, on which the blanks rest, may be formed-with steam passages, as will be described. The bed area is large enough to receive the multiple set of blanks laid out in series, as Fig. 6 shows, between the infolders. count of the use of released steam the working parts should be of plated or other rust proof metal.

The upper rear portion of the frame supports an upstanding bracket 24 on which is swingingly mounted a templet carrying arm or arms 25, between which may be provided a lamp 26 for illuminating the bed to assist the positioning of the blanks. scribed. Below the bed may be conventional shafting and connections, not herein shown, to actuate templet, infolders and pressing means on the principles disclosed in said patents. If the cycle is 12 seconds, 300 complete sets can be completed per hour; with but little attention bev sides feeding in the blanks of each set, from a supply, and collecting each set for pinning to a vest, thus avoiding the prevailing hindrances from hand Soaping and pressing, and facilitating thefsewing in various ways including the avoid- '5 On ac- The templet will be subsequently deance of thread breakage incurred in the use of soaped welts.

The infolding means is shown as comprising two opposite infolders, a left hand infolder comprising a body 35 with infolding plate 36 extending inwardly therefrom and a right hand infolder 38 with similar inward plate 39. Each of the infolders has its body formed with a hollow chamber 4l by which it may be steam heated to improve the folding and pressing actions. The two infolders are simultaneously movable inward toward each other to fold the blank edges over the edges of the dening templet to be described, and the direction of infolder sliding movement will be termed longitudinal for purposes of description. The infolding plates have specially shaped folding edges as will be described, oppositely arranged at the left and right. The four blanks Al, A2, BI and B2 are all diil'erent in shape or size and Fig. 6 shows how they may be laid out on the bed, with their long edges longitudinal and their inclined ends in suitable relation to the templet and folding members. Fig. 8 shows the retracted or outward position of the ,Y infolder 36, spaced slightly outwardly from the defining edge of the templet. This permits the blank to be set in place, with its end margin D overlying or at least upstanding against the inner edge of the infoldel, so that when the infolder moves inwardly, to the right in Fig. 8, with preferably an accompanying rise, the parts come to the position shown in Fig. 9, the fold being still occupied by the edge of the templet. rlhe position of the parts after the subsequent retraction of the templet plates is indicated in Figs. 6 and 7, in which position the infolders may be pulled forcibly downward, or conversely the bed lifted, to squeeze and sharply crease the intervening folds. In this connection an expedient will be described to cause the folds to be sharply and permanently creased so as to retain their position until the subsequent stitching operations.

The four welt blanks being arranged as shown in Fig. 6, or in any convenient diiferent sequence, the infolders are correspondingly constructed and shaped, for example as follows. The defining part of each infolder is laterally of sufficient length to operate upon all four of the blanks separately but simultaneously. For example the left hand infolder plate 36 has four edge sections, each of which is straight, but appropriately slanted, and the total of the four sections taking for example a zigzag contour. Thus the left hand infolder has a straight edge section 43 f or the left end of the blank Al and the right infolder has a corresponding section 43B, for the other end of the same blank. 'I'hese opposite inof the infolders. For the next blank A2 the respective left hand and right hand infolders have the edge sections 44 and MR, in this case slanted oppositely to the slant of the sections 43 and 43B.. For the third blank Bl the respective infolders have the inclined folding sections 45 and 45B, the series being completed by the folding sections 4B and 46R near the front ends of the respective infolder plates 36 and 39. Therefore, by a simple mutualy approaching movement the two infolders attend fully to the infolding of both ends of all of the blanks constituting a complete set of vest welts.

aesne'zo A particular feature will be noted in that the first and second pairs of infolding edges are for the shorter blanks, the remaining two being for the longer blanks, pursuant to whichl to give the necessary differential of length, there is a substantial offset in the contour or contours, for example as shown at 4l near the central part of the right hand infolder plate 39; although this offset could as well be at the other side, or split between the two sides, as shown.

In order that the infolder system may have rising and lowering movements the infolders 35 and 38 are mounted, not directly upon the fixed bed of the machine, but upon a carrying means in the form of a hollow frame 48 comprising front and rear side` bars between which the two infolders may slide longitudinally, a pair of holddown strips i9 being shown, overlying the thinned edges of the infolders, as. best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, to confine them on the frame 48 while permitting their inward and outward sliding movements. To bring about the upward and downward movements of the frame and infolders conventional means may be used or this may be done by hand or foot in a manner known in the art, so that, by the preferred operation the infolders are lifted slightly during their inward movements from the position of Fig. 8 to that of Fig. 9, and subsequently are pulled forcibly downward in order to squeeze and crease firmly the folds when in the position shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

The simultaneous inward and outward movements of the two infolders may be conventionally performed, for example, by means provided at each end of the machine including an upright lever 53, centrally pivoted, extending Y upwardly to the infolder at that end. The top of each lever 55 is articulated to the infolder by a fixture 55 secured in a slot 58 formed in the infolder. The fixture at. the right hand side is provided with a clamping handle 5l. By this means adjustment for different sizes of welt may readily be effected by simply loosening the nxture 55 by the handle 51, which may be done at the right hand side only, thereupon shifting the infolder position in relation to the top of its aotuating lever 53 and then reclamping the xture. This adjusting operation may be greatly facilitated by providing a scale 53 to which the infolder may be set, as shown in Fig. 4. r1"he adjustment to welts of different size is thus effected without changing the one-half inch or other differential between the lengths of the welts for the upper and lower pockets respectively. Welt lengths range from 2% to 6 inches and a machine may be adjustable to this full range, or a part of it.

Referring next to the templet or defining member it may comprise a stock or templet body 80 mounted at the free ends of the swinging arms 25. Underneath the templet body, see Figs. 2, 6 and 7, is a left hand carrier 6l carrying a thin templet plate or dener 62, and a right hand carrier 84 with a deflner 65. Each of the carriers may have a hollow portion to receive steam, or be otherwise heated; an advantage of maintaining in hot condition the bed, the infolders and the templet, being to prevent or minimize condensation upon and possible dripping of moisture from these elements due to the presence of released steam as will be described. The two carriers are arranged to engage and slide longitudinally along in the templet body, preferably with simultaneous outward and inward movements of the4 carriers and' definers, effected conventionally or by a handle 19; The templet may be. bodily swung down to the work and later elevated about the fulcrum of the arms 25 by any means, as manually.`

Each. of thev two plates of the templet has a special contour which agrees substantially with the described contours of the two infolder plates 36 and 39. Thus the left hand templet plate 62 has an edge section 13 corresponding to the edge section 43 of the left hand infolder and to the left end of the first welt blank Al. Oppositely the templet plate 8.5 has a corresponding edge section WR. To abbreviate the description, the plates of the templet are formed further with edge sections 'M and 14R, l5 and 'EER and 'I6 and 'IER corresponding with the similar sections of the infolder plates, with an offset or offsets 'il corresponding with the offset tl in the infolder plate 39.

In order to fix the folds or creases so as to retain their condition until the later sewing has been performed the following means may be employed. This operates by applying steam, releasing it in the form of a spray or jets, along each of the folded edges ina manner to permeate the fabric and moisten it, both through the body of the welt and its infold, thisV being done after the templet has withdrawn from` the folds and during the actual pressing or squeezing of the folds between the infolders and bed. When performed in this manner, the blank body and fold being squeezed forcibly against each other, while moist, it is found that sufcient fixing or adherence is secured to dispense with the application of an adhesive medium, heretofore tried but subject to objections.

To carry out this part of the invention the bed 2li and its central area 2! are shown as provided with steam passages 83 arranged to conduct steam to a series of apertures et which are directed upwardly and deliver jets directly into the body of the blank adjacent to the length of each of the folds while confined between the bed and the infolder. The steam release might equally well be applied from above through the infolder but underneath application is preferred. A supply passage 85 is shown conducting steam to the passages 83, and in turn, an exterior pipe B6 is shown leading from a steam supply to the passage 85.

It is desirable to release a relatively brief application of steam, during the period of the squeezing of the folds, and to cut off the steam before the pressing is discontinued, so that the fabric may be pressed while moist, and dried under the heat before the pressure is relaxed, this operation affording a very effective mode of fixing and creasing the folds. For these purposes a steam Valve 81 is shown interposed in the supply pipe 86, the valve having a lever 88 for opening and closing it. These operations are preferably performed automatically in time with the other operations, and for briefly opening and closing their valve there is shown a connecting rod 89 vertically slidable, its lower end having a follower which rests upon the periphery of a cam 99. The cam has a short rise or button 9| adapted to cause a momentary lifting and dropping of the connecting rod, and the cam is mounted on a shaft 92, a spring 93 restoring the connecting rod and valve lever to closed position when released by the cam. These parts may be manually or otherwise so operated that the valve is opened preferably at the instant the squeezing pressure is applied, promptly closing so that vthe moistened fabric may be dried between the bed and infolders before the squeezing pressure is relaxed.

The steam spraying valve is normally closed. When opened the steam is applied internally to the fabric adjacent to each fold, through one of the members, the bed or the infolder, preferably upwardly through the bed as described; the infolder acting as a baffle operating to spread the steam laterally through the fabric, softening and loosening the fibers and so conditioning the same as to promote interengaging between the faces of the blank body and folded margin across the width of the fold and thus assisting the fold to remain closed, besides sharpening and setting the extreme edge of the crease or fold itself.

In the art of manufacturing vests or like garments the method of the present invention may be reviewed as follows. It is the method or system of quantity preparation of sets of differing welts for sewing to the vests or other garments, and comprises the handling, the folding and the creasing of the welts of each set thereof substantially as follows. The cut fabric blanks for the one set of welts are laid out in serial arrangement or general alinement, as upon a folding bed. The folds at the ends of all of the blanks of the set are then simultaneously defined and thereupon are simultaneously infolded, and held in such condition. Upon the withdrawing of the defining means the blank folds are left held directly in contact upon the bodies of the blanks resting on the bed. The squeezing pressure is then applied upon the folds to crease them rmly. When the material is such that the folds are difficult to crease steam is now applied in quantity to moisten the fabric and permeate it adjacent to the folded edges while under the squeezing pressure, this step giving the result that adherence is produced between the fabric body and its folds, thus fixing them until later sewed. Finally the folded and creased welts are removed and collected 'fr om'the bed as a set and are pinned or otherwise clipped to the vest or garment preparatory to being stitched thereon. As 4already indicated the release of the moistening steam is begun about or before the creasing pressure is applied and preferably terminated by cutting oif the steam before releasing the pressure. The operating parts are maintained hot so that the creases quickly become dry, or substantially so, before the pressure is removed.

This application is a continuation in part of copending application Serial No. 217,860, led July 7, 1938, for Machine and method for folding and fixing fabric blanks.

There has thus been described a means, system and method for the infolding of vest pocket welts and the like, embodying the principles of the present invention and attaining the objects thereof. Since many matters of operation, combination, construction and arrangement may be variously modified without departing from the principles hereof it is not intended to limit the invention to such matters except so far as set forth in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In the art of manufacturing vests or like woolen garments the method of quantity preparation of sets of differing welts for sewing to vests or other garments, comprising the handling, folding and fixing of the woolen welts of each set thereof as follows: spreading out the out fabric blanks for one set of welts in general alinement upon a smooth folding bed, defining simultaneously the folds at the ends of all such blanks of theone set, infolding simultaneously all such ends as so defined and then holding them so, and withdrawing the defining means to leave the blank infolds held directly in contact upon the blank bodies resting on the bed beneath the infolding means; then applying heavy squeezing pressure to crease such folds while remaining unoccupied between the bed and infolding means, while maintaining heated both the supporting bed and infolders, applying steam to such folds in a short discharge to moisten the fabric and permeate both the body and infold adjacent to the folded edges while in direct face contact under squeezing pressure, thereby to cause face adherence between fabric body and folds and to x the creases until later sewed, without need of adhesive; and removing and collecting the set of folded and fixed welts and clipplng the set together for its garment preparatory to stitching the welts to the garment.

ALFRED G. GILBERT. 

